Keir Starmer intervened to stop England v Mexico World Cup kick-off change | OneFootball

Keir Starmer said on Monday he stepped in to prevent FIFA bringing forward England v Mexico’s last-16 kick-off in Mexico City at the 2026 World Cup. According to PA, he worked with the FA to keep the original slot.

A rescheduling had been considered because of possible bad weather in the capital, which would have moved the start six hours earlier. FIFA kept the fixture at 18:00 local time, although it eventually began an hour late due to adverse conditions.

Starmer told guests at a Downing Street reception that they had to push back against the change. He opposed it as it would have left England less time to acclimatise to the Azteca’s 2,240 metres, seen as an advantage for Mexico.

England beat Mexico 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

Political interventions have surfaced during this tournament, with Donald Trump asking Gianni Infantino and FIFA to review Folarin Balogun’s red card.

Source: L'Équipe